Cabrera, De Los Santos latest players linked to PED scandal

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PEORIA, AZ  Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera and relief pitcher Fautino De Los Santos are among the five most recent players linked to the now defunct South Florida anti-aging clinic being investigated by Major League Baseball in an expanding performance-enhancing drug scandal.

Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal -- who tested positive last September for testosterone and will open the season on a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s policy banning PEDs -- was previously linked to the Miami-area Biogenesis lab that is now linked to Cabrera and De Los Santos as well as other professional ballplayers.

The Cabrera and De Los Santos names came out Tuesday in documents obtained by ESPN’s "Outside the Lines."

“I’m processing the information as I get it,” Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said Tuesday night. “We’re going to try to connect with their agents and get more information. Right now, I don’t know more than anyone else.”

In addition to Cabrera and De Los Santos, other players linked by “Outside the Lines” to the Biogenesis of America clinic through documents were Oakland relief pitcher Jordan Norberto, Houston outfielder Fernando Martinez and New York Mets outfield prospect Cesar Puello.

The “Outside The Lines” report said the five, like those named in previous documents released by former Biogenesis employees to news sources, were on a list as having received PEDS, although the documents offer no proof that the players ever received or used the PEDs.

At least 25 players, either by name or nickname, are identified in the Biogenesis documents. There are indications that the number of major league players who dealt with Biogenesis president Anthony Bosch over the years could be significantly higher. Bosch has been missing since the first Biogenesis reports became public three weeks ago.

“Outside the Lines” said the new uncovered documents also provide additional references to players previously mentioned in media reports as being listed in Biogenesis paperwork – including Grandal, Melky Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun and Francisco Cervelli.

In a statement read by Grandal to the media last Saturday regarding his suspension, the catcher said he was cooperating with MLB’s investigation of his being linked to Biogenesis but said he could make no comment about the lab under the advice of his legal counsel.

He has refused to answer questions about his suspension, PEDs or Biogenesis.

Cabrera and De Los Santos could not be reached Tuesday night.

Cabrera, a 26-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop is the most notable player on the new list. Cabrera led the National League with 44 stolen bases last season and finished strong with a .281 average in September. He finished with a .246 overall average and a .324 on-base percentage.

He is the lone pure shortstop on the Padres 40-man roster, although the Padres are also expected to play Logan Forsythe and Alexi Amarista at short during the spring training exhibition season and recently signed Cody Ransom to a minor league free agent contract.

De Los Santos, 27, was recently claimed by the Padres off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.

All five players named in the “Outside the Lines” report are either clients or past clients of ACES, the sports agency owned by brothers Seth and Sam Levinson.

Cabrera dropped the Levinson brothers after the end of last season and signed with Scott Boras. Ten players identified as Biogenesis clients have ties to ACES, and most have been connected by sources or documents as having worked with Juan Carlos Nunez, who worked for ACES as a liaison to players.

Seth and Sam Levinson told “Outside the Lines” that they had no knowledge of Nunez' extensive work with Biogenesis, and said he was temporarily employed by them as a contractor.

Nunez last July was named as part of the unsuccessful coverup attempt by Melky Cabrera after the Giants left fielder tested positive for a PED and drew a 50-game suspension. The Levinson’s said Nunez stopped working for them as soon as he was linked to the Melky Cabrera coverup.

“In the wake of that, I think (Everth) Cabrera switched to Boras from the Levinsons,” said Byrnes.

“I am 99.9 percent sure that (Everth) Cabrera has never tested positive for PEDs,” continued Byrnes.

Padres players all had a mandatory, MLB-conducted drug test last week.

Regarding Everth Cabrera, Boras told “Outside the Lines” Tuesday: "We can't comment until we do due diligence on this, as he's been a client of ours as of November."

In addition to Cabrera and De Los Santos, the Levinson brothers also represent three other Padres – right-handed pitcher Jason Marquis and infielders Forsythe and Jedd Gyorko.

One of the documents obtained by "Outside the Lines'' lists players by name, with a fee, the abbreviation for Florida or Arizona, and often a month alongside -- presumably in 2012.

Everth Cabrera is listed with $1,500 in March. De Los Santos is listed as $700 in March.

Major League Baseball apparently has been investigating Bosch and his connections to major league players since last August. Without official documents like shipping receipts or sworn testimony about Bosch's business records, MLB would not be able to suspend players under its drug policy.